On the recordFebruary 24, 2015
I appreciate the indulgence of my colleague from Louisiana. In a significant demonstration of leadership around here, Chairman Alexander and Senator Murray have told us they intend to write a bipartisan bill. Their process has the potential to be a rare exception to the gridlock that has gripped this Senate, along with our bipartisan work on the farm bill and immigration. Senators Alexander and Murray have both expressed a willingness to work together because they appreciate the importance of this task. They understand the consequences of failure. They know enough about this issue, and they care enough about it. In January of 1941, during one of the Nation's most difficult times-- the height of the Great Depression and on the eve of our entry into the Second World War, Franklin Roosevelt declared that there were four universal freedoms that all persons possessed--freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Today, in the 21st century, some of these freedoms may be obtainable, but an honest assessment tells us it would be impossible to achieve all of them without something additional, and that is freedom from ignorance. In the end, freedom from ignorance is the surest relief from the shackles of poverty. Where does this leave us as we begin this important but long overdue national conversation on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary School Act?…
